What Do You Wear Under Your Waders?
The issue of what to wear under waders hadn’t occurred to me until my 2019 trip to Alaska. At Bear Trail Lodge, the last thing you do before hitting the water is head to the dressing cabin and “wader up.” They use them not just for getting into the water, but also as all-purpose everyday rain pants.
We were fortunate that they provided high-quality Simms and Patagonia products in a wide range of sizes and fits, which saved us from having to spend several hundred dollars apiece on something we’d likely only use once or twice a year. Nevertheless, we were on our own when it came to figuring out what to wear underneath them.
While I hadn’t given it any thought, I suppose that if I had I would’ve assumed people opted for everything from fancy pants down to commando style. Like the TV newscasters who wear a nice suit jacket on top and boxers beneath, what happens under waders stays under waders. For all I care, you can go commando if that’s your preference.
Throughout most of our 2019 and 2020 trips, it was warm and I wore typical quick-dry fishing pants under mine. They bunched up a little bit around the ankles, but other than that were reasonably functional, even if slightly less than perfect. If we’d experienced some colder weather, they’d need to be replaced. Since it’s my goal to one day go to Alaska in the fall to chase the monster rainbow trout, I started looking at other options:
Not surprisingly, Simms, with a heavy focus on the fly fishing world, has a number of great options for both men and women. The ones that intrigued me the most were their Fjord Pants, which are super-heavy duty double-layer fleece. I’m tempted to buy them not only to wear under waders, but to wear under my Stormr cold-weather suit for wintertime bass fishing. They’re not cheap at $249.95, and might not be comfortable wearing them into a store, but sometimes warmth has to win out.
Orvis offers Pro Underwader Pants that include tapered legs to avoid bunching and stirrups to keep them in place. They’re also close enough to “regular” pants that you could wear them to dinner or into a store without risking embarrassment.
Another venerable sporting outfitter – L.L. Bean – has their take on fleece stirrup-accessorized pants in demure charcoal
Drake, a waterfowling brand that I became aware of through Elite Series pro Bill Lowen, sells Jean Cut Under Wader pants that are fleece-lined and also look like something that could be worn every day, even into an office environment. There’s also a 2.0 version that is available only in camo patterns, so it’s still super-functional, but probably less suitable for the average office job.
Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops, through the Red Head brand, have a budget-priced option in black
They also produce another version called “Northern Flight” with heavier construction.
Women may have the best options of all in the form of leggings. There are a variety of weights and types available, but some of the coolest come from Fishewear
